Creepy Bot - Wooden mechanical toy plans from Clayton Boyer

Clayton Boyer, the master of mechanical wooden clock designs, has come up with something a little different. He will soon be selling plans for this charming little walking wooden robot. The project is easier than many of his clock designs and reportedly can be finished in a weekend (provided you have some of the right tools). The little creature is driven by a 9 volt electric motor. This examplwe was designed by Clayton Boyer and built by Adrian Iredale. Clearly, the dog doesn't know what to make of it!

Here is where you should soon be able to buy the Creepy Bot - Wooden mechanical toy plans.

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Massive robot dragon fights a giant spider in Beijing's Olympic Park

Check out this performance of puppetry on a grand scale. The giant robots perform a show loosely based on Chinese mythology. The puppets were created by the French company, La Machine.

Learn more about the Robot dragon and giant spider on the BBC News web site.

[ Thanks Bill! ]

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The best projects from MAKE magazine in book form

If you are like me, you have been subscribed to MAKE magazine since day one. If not, you've now got a lot of catching up to do. Don't despair, however! They've assembled various topics into collections of articles that make for outstanding books. Take for example, The Best of Make. This 384 book pulls 75 of the best projects from the first two years of the magazine and gives them to you in one handy volume for only $25! That's one heck of a deal.

Inside this issue you will find chapters on tools, electronics, micro-controllers, toys & games, robots, music, flight & projectiles, photography & video, and cars & engines. Each of these chapters contains between 6 and 9 hands-on projects. Here is where you can order The Best of Make.

Also check out their other dedicated books like Make: Electronics, The Makerspace Workbench, The Essential Guide to 3D Printers, and the Eccentric Cubicle (a personal favorite).

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5 categories of mechanical toy deals for the holiday season

As you all know, the holidays are upon us. I did some looking around on Amazon to find out where good deals could be found on mechanical toys for young and old. Here's a quick look.

Deal List 1 - Metal Construction Sets

While supplies last, you can save up to 40% on certain Erector Sets. Here is a link to the Erector Sets on sale now. Here is a bigger list of Metal Construction Sets including additional brands.

Deal List 2 - RC Figures & Robots

There are 444 different radio-controlled and robot toys on sale now, including the Battroborgs boxing robots. They look like they are a blast! Here is a link to the RC Figures & Robots on sale.

Deal List 3 - Toys with Gears

You want gears? They've got them! I found over 500 different toys listed in this section. Check out the Gear-themed toys

Deal List 4 - Hobby Tools and Hardware

Want to make something? You'll need the tools and supplies. I found a link to all of the Hobby Building Tools & Hardware currently on sale and it's an impressive list!

Deal List 5 - Quad Copters

I found 160 multi-rotor remote controlled toys for sale! These this have (ahem...) taken off, so to speak. Check out the wild assortment of Quad Copters on sale now. This AR.Drone 2.0 Quadricopter is not on sale, but man does it look awesome.

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Intel creates kinetic art robotic music system inspired by an animated video

A couple of years ago, a video made the rounds on the internet. (Strangely, I don't think it appeared here on The Automata Blog.) It was a 3D animation of an intricate musical system in which bouncing balls triggered notes on an assemblage of musical devices. It was pretty convincing. I think there was a bit of confusion in some circles as to whether the machine was a real thing or not. It wasn't, but now it is. The folks at Intel have used that video as inspiration to create a machine that does more or less what the one in the video did! That's what you see above.

For reference, here is the original video titled Pipe Dream:

Here is where you can learn more about the embedded Intel technology for industrial automation that was used for this project.

[ Thanks Christoph! ]

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The Aetherologist - interactive automaton from a past that never was

Check out this amazing project by Brett King inspired in part by the works of Henri Maillardet and Thomas Kuntz. It's an automaton and an interactive performance all in one. The multimedia piece has a well-developed back-story which makes for a rich and intriguing experience for the viewer.

The artist explains:

The Aetherologist is an interactive steampunk exhibit that demonstrates the power of the aether as a communications medium. It includes an automaton which gathers information about the time and temperature around the world and an Aetherscope for direct viewing of events around the world. The idea behind the video is that the Aetherologist might have been exhibited at something like the Chicago World's Fair in 1934. I imagined "the aether" being the way that internet was developed in an alternate reality.

Using both found and constructed elements, the automaton took just over 4 months to build. The found objects incorporated into the piece include a working bakelite radio, microphone, magnifying glass, brass mask, and prism.

King intends to create a carrying case so that he can take The Aetheriologist to various Steampunk and maker conventions, such as ConTemporal.

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Paul Spooner and the automata he creates as 'wooden cartoons'

The BBC just featured one of my all time favorite automaton-makers, Paul Spooner. In the film, we get to see a number of his automata and here his thoughts about them. I could listen to Paul Spooner for hours. Or, at least I think I could. I haven't had the actual chance to listen to him for hours. The Tom Waits song used in the piece is both slightly disturbing and on the mark.

I've always agreed with his notion that his works are a form of cartoon. In his work in particular, his wit comes through in such a strong way, there can be no doubt that most are a form a joke. The analogy works in my mind even for those pieces that are not humorous. As with a single panel cartoon one might see in The New Yorker, the automaton depicts a snapshot in time. To understand the point of the piece, the viewer needs the scene to be set. The background, the objects, the figures, their clothing, expressions and posture -- these things must be carefully considered so that the viewer can quickly understand the broader context of the scene. Without this, the actions performed by the characters might come across as nothing more than simple, arbitrary motions.

Spooner is also brilliant with the titles of his pieces, which provide the right shade of glasses through which to view his work. Of course, his use of mechanics and his carving ability are some of the best around. Put all of this together and you get a body of work that's impressive and distinctive. He's one of the greats.

I think you will enjoy this BBC segment called Twisted toymaker Paul Spooner on his 'wooden cartoons'.

[ Thanks Martin! ]

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Cinder block-throwing robotic dog, both awesome and scary

When I started this video I wasn't sure what to expect. I've posted other videos about robots by Boston Dynamics and most of those seemed to involve the robots staying on their feet as they encountered various obstacles. This one is a little different. This robotic dog (for lack of a better term) hurls a huge cinder block across the room.

From the video description:

BigDog handles heavy objects. The goal is to use the strength of the legs and torso to help power motions of the arm. This sort of dynamic, whole-body approach to manipulation is used routinely by human athletes and will enhance the performance of advanced robots. Boston Dynamics is developing the control and actuation techniques needed for dynamic manipulation. The cinderblock weighs about 35 lbs and the best throw is a bit more than 17 ft. The research is funded by the Army Research Laboratory's RCTA

I'm sure this technology will have many useful, benign applications in the future (e.g. demolition, rescue, bomb removal, trail blazing, etc.), but I have to admit the sight of a robot throwing a heavy object in such an organic way left me feeling both impressed and a little freaked out. It's not the power that did it. We have machines and robots far more powerful than this one. Rather, it's the way the robot moved to make the throw that made me uneasy. Perhaps I experienced a bit of that hypothesized uncanny valley. How could I not? The robot even seems to be craning its neck after the throw to see how well it did, as if wondering if it beat its old record.

Here is where you can learn more about the Boston Dynamics BigDog project.

[ Thanks Tom! ]

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The lively wood and brass mechanical art of engineer Colin Neu

Today, we feature Colin Neu, an engineer who decided to use his mechanical skills to make these incredibly unique clockwork-driven pieces of art. Each piece is hand-crafted from solid brass and wood, and driven by an antique gramophone motor.

The first piece features a mechanical brass bat with flapping wings. The bat swoops down to pick up ball bearings carrying them to the top of a marble track which they slide down over and over again.

Next, a fanciful zeppelin-like vehicle made of brass and wood whirs and scoots around a table top.

This is followed by a miniature robot who leers menacingly as it walks along the tabletop. A door in its chest swings open automatically to reveal the mechanism inside.

To follow that, an alien flying a saucer hovers around and fires a small brass ray gun.

The final piece shows two brass figures adorning the top of a the wind up automaton. The piece depicts a decapitation scene, not unlike the paper version created by Keith Newstead. The arms swinging after the fatal blow is a nice touch.

The gorgeous brass metal work, finely finished woods, robust mechanical motors, and keen aesthetics make these pieces truly exceptional. Well done!

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The Electric Animal Circus: it's robots in a circus...what's not to like?

Any of my attempts to explain The Electric Animal Circus will fall short. As the title of the post implies, it involves a circus, robots, and a dose of humor.

Beyond watching the film above, their website says this:

Pozzo and Grotsky's Electric Animal Circus is a new type of live show: robot animals performing circus-inspired acts in a post-apocalyptic variety show. This website exists to showcase the project as it develops from concept to stage.

If you enjoyed the introductory film, here is one featuring The Great Maestro Pickleton and His Unusual Musical Octopus:

And while the film feels like something that might be a Kickstarter project, the web site says that the project is Financed by Deutsche Bank. I may be missing a joke here, but that's what it says.

[ Thanks Joe! ]

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Wooden robot lost in space - kinetic sculpture by Alan Westby

I posted last month about the wooden robot automata made by Alan Westby. I just received word that he's finished another in the series. This one depicts a poor robot hurling through space just beyond the safety of its rocket ship. Thankfully, most robots don't require air.

Note the clever use of two sets of bevel gears used to create rotation in two directions off of the same drive shaft. Well played!

See more of Alan Westby's robot-themed automata on his web site.

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Programmable acrobat robot with 17 servos and 75 moves

Check out this is acrobatic robot! The robot has a repertoire of 75 moves that include somersaults, backflips, and a variety of comical moves.

From the Advanced Acrobatic Robot description:

With a 60 MHz microcontroller, the robot has 17 servos that work in unison with an included gyro sensor and accelerometer to maintain balance and stability while providing lightning-quick movements that suggest humanoid sentience, commanded by an included wireless gamepad remote control. The points of articulation in its neck, arms, hands, legs, and feet are so precise that the robot can be commanded to pick up and hold objects with its hands, feign a soccer kick, or punch the air as if it were performing a martial arts kata-it can even bow to its audience after a performance.

The robot comes with software that works on Windows 7, XP, and 2000 allowing you to program additional actions via an included USB cable.

Here is where you can get the programmable acrobatic robot.

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Automomous robot band covers 'Come Together' by The Beatles

Here's a fun video of a group of robots performing The Beatles classic song Come Together. They really bring their own sound to the tune.

An explanation from the YouTube description:

Four of Drexel's HUBO robots perform the Beatles' "Come Together" in a demonstration that combines cutting-edge engineering technology and research with creative expression, produced by the Music & Entertainment Technology Laboratory (MET-lab). The HUBOs are operating autonomously (not human-controlled). Their movements are directed by student-developed software to perform the gestures necessary to produce the appropriate notes and beats as dictated by a musical score. Every sound in the video was performed by the robots.

Here's where you can learn more about the robotics at Drexel Univerisity.

[ Thanks Bob! ]

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Hexbut Larva - autonomous squirming bug robot

Hexbug has been delivering insect-inspired robots for a while now. Based on simple electronics and basic bio-mechanics, they are robots-from-the-ground-up, similar to many of the BEAM robots in principle. In addition to their original Micro-Robotic Creatures, they have introduced an Inchworm, Spider, Crab, Ant, and nondescript Nano, as well as various terrains and habitats for these little creatures.

The HEXBUG Larva is the latest addition to the line. Though quite small, the robot has infrared sensors that allow it to detect obstacles in its wriggly path. The robot is then capable of steering clear of those obstacles. All of this is pretty good for a robot this size, but not earth-shattering. The thing that sets the Larva apart is the bio-mimetic motion. It's both fascinating and -- if you are not into creepy-crawly things -- perhaps a bit unnerving. Personally, I think it is fantastic!

Here's where you can get the Hexbug Larva in a variety of colors.

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Remote-controlled car transforms into a robot

Check out this remote control car with some surprising added functionality!

From the product description:

This remote-controlled sports car transforms into a robot that launches suction cup darts from a rotary cannon. At the touch of a button, the hood and front tires elevate 10" off of the ground, exposing the cannon that's integrated into the undercarriage. Drivers can fire the five suction cup darts in rapid succession, transform the robot back into its automotive form, and race the car forward and backward, execute hairpin turns, and perform 360º spins.

The cars can be set to run on three different RC channels, which means you can have three-car battles.

Here is where you an learn more about The Remote Controlled Transforming Robot Car.

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Robots are taking over! Very small robots.

Check out these stylish little remote-controlled robots called Zibits. There are 12 different models with something to suit every taste -- from clunky-retro to sleek-modern. The robots have a super-simple control device that basically just puts them into a spin. Once you let go, the robot continues forward. Based on what I've read, this means that pretty much anyone can figure out how move these little bots.

It seems like they are more fun in numbers, so they offer a bunch of different Zibit 2-packs so you can race them, battle each other, or work together in this crazy track environment for designed Zibits (one Zibit robot included).

Here's where you can see all the various Zibits and associated periphenalia.

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Elenco Scarab Robot - kit for soldering practice

I have an affinity for small robots based on insects. This Scarab robot kit by Elenco features two touch sensors which detect obstacles in its path. Once it detects an obstacle, the beetle will execute a two-step maneuver to bypass it. The robot is capable of moving left, right, and in reverse. This kit is rated at an intermediate skill level, so if you want to hone your soldering skills this is a fun and affordable way to do it.

Here's a link to Elenco Scarab Robot Kit (soldering required).

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Instructables National Robotics Week robot contest

The world's best DIY site, Instructables, is gearing up for National Robotics Week by holding a robot contest. To enter, you need to publish a new Instructable that shows how to build a robot by March 20th.

All kinds of robot projects are eligible -- from the simple to the complex. Ideally, the robots should be something that K-12 students could make with the help of teacher or mentor.

Instructables is giving away some great prizes for the contest. Projects will also be featured on the National Robotics Week website. Winners will have a chance to show their robot projects at live events during National Robotics Week.

Here's where you can learn more about the Intructables Robot Contest. Here is where you can learn more about National Robotics Week, April 9-17, 2011.

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Giffi set: build kinetic sculptures & simple robots

Giffi is an invention/construction set which allows you to build kinetic sculptures and simple robot-like creations. The kit is made up of three types of moving parts -- rotating, straight line motion, and sweeping -- connected by supporting parts. You bring your moving creations to life by combining the different parts and connecting the power via a battery box or wall plug.

Giffi was created by Kuan-Ju Wu, a tangible interaction designer, toy maker, and kinetic sculpture artist.

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Minotaur & other kinetic sculptures by Nemo Gould

Shown here is one of three new pieces by Nemo Gould, this one titled Minotaur. I always love the little-guy-inside-of-the-big-guy thing.

You can see all three new sculptures by Nemo Gould on his website.

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